Summary

Laminin 1 (alpha1beta1gamma1) and laminin 5 (alpha3beta3gamma2) induce cell adhesion with different involvement of integrins: both are ligands for the alpha6beta1 integrin, while alpha3beta1 integrin has affinity for laminin 5 only. These two laminin isoforms therefore provide good models to investigate whether alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta1 integrins play different roles in signal transduction and in focal adhesion formation. Laminin 1 or 5 induced adhesion of normal human skin fibroblasts to a similar extent but promoted different overall cell shapes. On laminin 1 the fibroblasts formed mainly filopodia-like structures, while on laminin 5 they developed lamellipodias. Staining of fibrillar actin with fluorescein-phalloidin revealed a similar organisation of the actin cytoskeleton on both substrates. However, integrin subunits and several cytoskeletal linker proteins, including vinculin, talin, and paxillin, showed an isoform-specific arrangement into focal adhesions. On laminin 1 they were recruited into thick and short aggregates localized at the termini of actin stress fibers, while on laminin 5 they appeared as dots or streaks clustered on a long portion of actin microfilaments. To test whether the differing affinity of laminin 1 or 5 for alpha3beta1 integrin would explain the formation of morphologically different focal adhesions, cells were seeded on laminin 1 under conditions in which alpha3beta1 integrins were occupied by a function-blocking antibody. This resulted in the formation of focal adhesions similar to that observed on laminin 5, where the integrin is occupied by its natural ligand. These results provide the first evidence for a cross-talk between alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta1 integrins and indicate that occupancy of alpha3beta1 integrins results in a trans-dominant regulation of alpha6beta1 integrin clustering and of focal adhesions. It suggests that recruitment of integrins and cytoskeletal linker proteins are laminin isoform-specific and that tissue specific expression of laminin isoforms might modulate cell behavior by the activation of distinct sets of integrins and by the induction of distinct molecular assemblies within the cell adhesion signaling complexes.

Marian Blanca Ramírez from the CSIC in Spain has been studying the effects of LRRK2, a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, on cell motility. A Travelling Fellowship from Journal of Cell Science allowed her to spend time in Prof Maddy Parson’s lab at King’s College London, learning new cell migration assays and analysing fibroblasts cultured from individuals with Parkinson’s. Read more on her story here.

Where could your research take you? The deadline to apply for the current round of Travelling Fellowships is 23rd Feburary 2018. Apply now!